[Regarding this, Host, there's o worry.]

  Just as Reid was w that he might actally use the Joker Venom to turn this pto a Laughing Marvel Universe, the system spoke up again.

  "Oh? What do you mean by that?"

  [When the Host acquired the Joker's abilities, you also gained immunity to ughing gas and the Joker iion. In fact, the Joker iion has already started appearing in your body. However, this thing won't affect you or your thoughts in any way. You don't o worry about gradually being the Joker because of the Joker iion.]

  It had to be said—this was the first time the system had truly put Reid at ease.

  Being naturally immuo the Joker iion was undoubtedly the best-case sario.

  Although his previous crazy antics had earhe Joker's approval, that didn't mean Reid actually wao bee the Joker.

  That said, he didn't mind using the Joker's methods on other Marvel characters.

  Whether it was Iron Man or Captain America, if they posed a threat to him, Reid certainly wouldn't hesitate to put a bit of ughing gas on their faces—letting them experience what it means to ugh out of sheer terror.

  With his mind made up, Reid shook his head, posed himself, and began analyzing the current situation.

  As he pondered, Reid also opehe Wayne family's database on Gotham City.

  As one of the four major families trolling Gotham behind the ses, the Wayne family's internal database erhaps even more prehehaham Polibsp;Department's. At least, during this timeline—when Bruce was still training abroad—this held true.

  Using this information, Reid began searg for forces he could leverage.

  Before Batman, the symbol of fear, appeared, he inteo establish a symbol of madness in Gotham. This madness would suppress those who were itg to stir up trouble iy.

  The Joker, after all, wasn't merely a symbol of madness because of who he was. His madness was iious, capable of rallying tless people to his cause. His keen, almost instinctual uanding of human nature allowed him to incite waves of destru across Gotham at will.

  First, Reid ruled out vilins like Fale and Penguin, who represented signifit existing powers.

  Fale, for instance, didn't need much eboration. As a massive crime family, they had already beeioned multiple times and had made it clear they would not take any additional unnecessary as.

  As for Penguin, he wasn't even the Pengui. He was still just a member of the Cobblepot family, one of Gotham's four major families.

  When it came to the Cobblepot family, Reid k would already be a blessing if they didn't take this opportunity to kick the Wayne family while they were down. Gaining their assistance was simply out of the question.

  Simirly, the other two of the four major families, as well as all the other mafia families in Gotham, were currently unreliable.

  In the face of the massive bes brought by the colpse of Wayerprises, no matter hot the Joker was at maniputing people, he couldn't pete against such overwhelming is.

  At least, the Joker in his current state—ohout a name or reputation—didn't yet possess that capability.

  'Deathstroke hasn't appeared yet. Perhaps he's tied to an indepe character card or requires specifiviroal triggers. The same goes for Bane.'

  Reid tinued sc Gotham's database, searg for those who would bee Batman's vilins iure.

  'Harvey Dent hasn't gohrough the long Halloween that transforms him into Two-Face. Scarecrow is still just a psychology professor. Poison Ivy is merely a college student. But... the Riddler...'

  Reid's focus locked onto the Riddler.

  This man was a natural-born lunatic. Even the Joker, as insane as he was, couldn't cim to be innately so—but the Riddler was. His obsession with riddles bordered on pure madness.

  Even when he genuinely wao evade capture, even wheruly wished to escape Arkham Asylum, even when his first instinct after itting a crime was to disappear pletely, he couldn't resist leaving behind cryptic clues.

  Riddles. He always left them, giving others the ce to solve them and find him.

  At this point, the Riddler had yet to truly bee the Riddler. Instead, he worked as a sultant for Earle within Wayerprises.

  However, the Riddler's usefulness was minimal—especially since he was just an ordinary person, not someone pying a defined role. In such circumstances, his value was even lower.

  Finally, after systematically eliminating vilins who hadn't yet emerged, Reid narrowed his focus to two individuals. These tresent, were the most valuable to his pns.

  "Maybe I take care of both of them at the same time."

  ......

  Gotham City's sewers.

  The sewers were filthy and grimy, but pared to Gotham at night, they felt like a sanctuary—a breeding ground for monsters.

  Dressed in a purple suit, embodying the Joker's persona, Reid jumped into the sewers. With a jaunty sway of his arms and an unsteady yet pyful stride, he moved forward through the narrow passageways.

  "Hello there, my friend!"

  The suddeing wasn't directed at anyone in particur. Pying the Joker, Reid had simply cheerfully addressed a random rat in the sewer.

  However, the rat clearly couldn't uand human nguage. With a quick squeak, it darted into a crad vanished from sight.

  "It seems you don't know where my friend is," Reid said, his face showing a hint of disappoi before his expressihtened again with excitement.

  "Ahem..."

  He cleared his throat briefly, raising both hands, and began to sing slowly in the Joker's raspy voice, a strange, uling tune.

  "Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday..."

  But after just that one line, the song abruptly stopped. Then, as if fetting the rest of the lyrics, Reid began again.

  "Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday... What es ? How did I fet...?"

  No sooner had he finished speaking than, as if in respoo the rhyme, the wall of the sewer was violently shattered. A massive arm, resembling something from a horror movie like Fraein's monster, reached through and grabbed Reid by the colr, lifting him up and smming him hard against the wall.

  "Cough!"

  Blood sprayed from Reid's mouth, but thanks to pying the Joker, he had already fotten the pain. It was as if the Joker's body had long been aced to such wounds.

  "Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday..."

  Standing before him was Solomon Grundy, Reid's target, and the very name of the hulking figure now looming over him.

  Despite the blood and grime c his face, Reid gave a faint smile as he looked at the giant.

  "Found you... Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday... What is it you want to know, Solomon Grundy?"

  **

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